Tennessee lawmaker threatens to give up season tickets if Titans protest during national anthem

After Donald Trump said NFL players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem, NFL players, owners and coaches condemned Trump's comments.
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Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) and defensive end Jurrell Casey (99) raise their fists after the playing of the National Anthem before their game against the Oakland Raiders at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn.(Photo: George Walker IV / Tennessean.co)

Hours before the Tennessee Titans kickoff their game against the Seattle Seahawks, a state lawmaker is threatening to cancel his season tickets if players protest during the national anthem.

On Sunday, Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, posted a message on social media saying he was "done" with the Titans if their players "start this crap" — an apparent reference to the NFL players who take a knee during the national anthem.

At the Titans' home opener against the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 10 linebacker Wesley Woodyard and defensive end Jurrell Casey raised their fists in the air after the national anthem.

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Tennessee Titans defensive end Jurrell Casey (99) raises his fist at the end of the National Anthem before the start of their preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 in Kansas City, Mo.(Photo: George Walker IV / The Tennessean)

Bailey wasn't the only Tennessee lawmaker to address the issue Sunday; Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, posted a 1965 image of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., and Ralph Abernathy kneeling while praying before they were jailed in Selma, Ala.